!"#$%$&'( *+"#'%$,+-+. /012&3,45$%,3 '-6 /012&3,47'32% 2.''emiirical'results'on'the'obl Jectslfirst'debate'

In this paper, results of an empirical comparison of objects-first vs. objects-later are presented and discussed. The study was carefully designed to align the two approaches so that the comparison is focused on the main difference between the two approaches; that is the different sequence in which topics are taught: object oriented topics from the beginning or not. The study with duration of one year was carried out in a secondary school. In the end, both groups showed the same increase in learning gain, but perceived the difficulty of topics differently. We discuss study design, results and pedagogical implications. Categories' and' Su34ect' Descri7tors:' K3.2 [Com7uters' :' Education]: Computer and Information Science Education – !"#$%&'( *!+',!' '-%!.&+",/ +,0"(#.&+", *1*&'#* '-%!.&+",.' General'Terms:'Experimentation, Human Factors.'